


Clarity

by TheAllonsyGirl



Category: Real Person Fiction
Genre: Adult Content, Children, F/M, Friends to Lovers, Long-Distance Relationship, Love
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-01-27
Updated: 2015-01-27
Packaged: 2018-03-09 08:03:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,922
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3242297
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheAllonsyGirl/pseuds/TheAllonsyGirl
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Catherine is in love with David, and he knows it. David is in love with Catherine, and she knows it. Everyone knows it, but still they don't admit it. One day, Catherine decides enough is enough, and she goes out of her way to fix it. She heads out to L.A where David is doing Promo work for Gracepoint, to set the record straight. David isn't the only one working out there; Matt and Karen have both been nominated for awards, and are in the city, and with input from all of their previous co-stars, perhaps happily ever after, isn't just a pipe-dream.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Clarity

Catherine smiled as she looked at her iPhone, which had started to vibrate upon the table. She looked at the picture for a second and swiped her finger across the screen. She brought it to her ear and spoke, a smile in her voice;

"Alright, stranger?" her heart jumped a little as she heard the chuckle of the man she'd been missing for the last few weeks.  
"Aye, hon, it's bloody raining again. Feels like Scotland. Still warmer here though," David replied, sipping a glass of iced still water. "Missing me yet?" he grinned and put the phone in the crook of his neck as he opened a packet of crisps.

"Nah, you can stay there if you like," she teased and bit her bottom lip; even joking about it hurt.

"Oh that's charming! Thanks a bloody lot," he laughed, only half serious in his reply. In truth, she was always on his mind, he just knew that it wasn't viable. He'd only been divorced for six months. 

"I'm only joking, don't get your knickers in a twist," she chuckled wryly, and twirled a lock of her autumn sunrise hair between her fingers. "How's the filming going? Have you fucked it up completely yet?" she jibed, all in good spirit, and she giggled as she heard him crack up.

"Oh, Tate, ye of little faith! No, no I haven't, not completely. This accent thing is a bit of nightmare if I'm honest. I'm flying out to LA next week, for the promo stuff, and I'll be glad to be shot of the accent. I'm not sure it's working," he laughed and shook his head; he was always self-deprecating, and humble; it was the way he'd grown up, to never be arrogant and prideful; he knew it to be unbecoming. "Last day of filming tomorrow!" he whooped with genuine joy; these long shoots in the cold, dark beach town were tiring and uncomfortable.

"Aww, diddums," she smirked and chuckled softly; "Alright for some, eh? Glamorous celebrity parties, interviews with Letterman, posh dos, free stuff. I can see why that would be sooooo hard," she rolled her eyes as she spoke, she knew David would be scowling on the other end of the phone; he hated prying eyes in his personal life.

"I'd happily trade places with you," he laughed.

"Nah, you can't; my boobs are too big, to pass off being a skinny, Scottish bloke; and I can't do the accent, I'm also ginger," David burst out laughing, and Catherine swallowed thickly; her heart jumped a little; it was a sound she had become accustomed to, and one she loved dearly. 

"That's a very good point. Wish you could be here though, less daunting with my partner in crime," he smiled fondly, at a picture he had pinned to his notice board of he and Catherine in the park one day, with Erin and Ty.   
"Careful what you wish for," she threw back, popping a piece of her sandwich in her mouth.  
"Is that a threat, or a promise?" he teased back; as much as they tried to keep a lid on their flirting, especially when David was married; he was nothing if not honourable, it didn't always happen that way. In all honesty, there was no need for them to do that anymore, he wasn't married anymore, she wasn't with anyone, but for some reason, they felt this force field of boundary around their feelings. It could have been fear of being hurt, or losing their friendship, maybe the publicity of it, but they both knew, that some day soon, that that force field would break down. 

"Do you realise how much I'm spending talking to you? I could have you over on the plane for that!" David spoke in a voice, much higher than his normal one. Catherine relished the thought of being there with him, but didn't mention it.

"Fine, I'll go away then, sod ya!" she pretended to be mad, and stayed quiet, so that maybe he'd think she'd hung up.

"No, no, no, don't go! I was joking," he was surprised at the neediness in his own voice, and Catherine stifled a laugh. 

"You know, I actually kind of have to, I have a daughter to feed," she chucked wryly and swapped the phone to her other hand. 

"Ah, alright, okay, I'll let ya off. Tell the wean I said hi, and try and be good if at all possible. Miss ya, pet," his voice became a little quieter with those last three words, and Catherine sighed ever so quietly.

"Miss you too, darling," she replied and hung up the phone; they never did say goodbye, because goodbyes always hurt. 

Catherine's young daughter bounded up behind her and made her jump out of her skin. She raised her hand to her heart;

"Oh, God sweetheart! Don't do that!" she breathed out a sigh and stood up, ruffling Erin's hair as she did. "Uncle David says hello from Canada," she smiled as she spoke his name out loud. She was lucky, that at eleven years old, her daughter wasn't quite perceptive enough to notice the tiny tells and nuances that adults betrayed when they had romantic feelings. Not to say she wasn't smart; she understood a lot more than she probably should for her age, but Catherine was, indeed an actress, and had become good at hiding her true intentions. 

"Are you going to go and see him, Mummy?" she piped up as she followed her mother into the kitchen. She hopped up onto a stool, and rested her chin on her hands, which resided on the counter. 

"I'm not sure, darling, he's very busy. I don't want to get in the way," Catherine busied herself with preparing a lasagne, to avoid her daughter's innocent, yet admittedly awkward, questioning. She wanted to go out there; the thought of it had preoccupied her for weeks.

She served the lasagne between the two of them, and poured out two glasses of cranberry juice, before sitting down at the head of the table. Her daughter perched on the the chair, her legs curled underneath her, and they talked about nothing of much importance. Erin spoke vividly about her classroom at school, her friends, and her homework, and Catherine smiled, and offered her whatever help she could in regards to her homework.

Catherine sat stroking Erin's hair, as she tried to remember herself, how to do fractions, and feeling a little shameful, when her daughter knew the answers before she did. Her mind was only half on on the task at hand; she couldn't shake the thought of running away to those Hollywood hills, and to him. Catherine stuck her head around the lounge door at around eight o'clock, and reminded Erin that she needed to be in bed by nine. Erin nodded dutifully, and turned back to the television, a pillow upon her lap, and her thumb nail of her right hand between her teeth; a nervous habit she'd picked up from her mother. 

After fifty minutes, Catherine heard the light foot falls of her daughter, padding up the stairs, just as she'd been asked, and she smiled. She followed her upstairs, and when she'd changed and bounded into bed, she kissed her daughter goodnight.

"What would you say to Mummy going away for a week, you staying with Daddy?" she posed the question carefully. Erin smiled widely, her tired eyes a little glazed.

"That's okay, but you have to bring me something back," she playfully grinned, and pulled her stuffed rabbit closer to her cheek.

"Of course I will, darling," Catherine smiled and kissed her on the forehead, before slipping out of the room, pulling the door closed with a quiet click. She breathed out a relieved breath, and jogged down the stairs and into the study. The study was not a room Catherine entered regularly; if there was one thing she hated, it was computers. 

"Now, you do what I want you to this time; none of that funny business; David's not here to fix you this time," she pressed the power button, and gave the computer an impatient tap, and it booted to life. She remembered how to pull up a browser page, and typed 'flights to Los Angeles from Heathrow' into the search bar. She raised her eyebrow at the sheer quantity of pages that appeared in the feed, and she clicked the sponsored link. She wasn't sure why, but she'd been surprised at the sheer cost of one flight.

"Nine hundred and eighteen pounds? Are you kidding me?" she gasped and blinked her eyes in disbelief. She thought for maybe six or seven minutes before she clicked on the purchase tab underneath the flight information. She needed to get there, she needed to get there quickly, and she supposed that speed costed. She gave herself a small smile, and patted the computer monitor on completion of the form;  
"Well, that's that then. Nicely done, Catherine," she congratulated herself on the victory of another battle with the internet, and she swiped the print-out from the tray. She switched off the computer and grabbed her mobile. She scrolled through her contacts, and pulled up Twig's number. She hit dial, and hoped he would pick up. After six rings he answered.

"Catherine? Is something wrong? Is Erin okay?" he frowned and used his other hand to block out the noise of the sports bar around him.

"What? Oh, no everything's fine. I just need to ask you a favour," she rested her phone on the side board, putting Twig on speaker, as she poured herself a glass of water.

"What is it?" Twig replied, sipping his beer as he spoke, his mood relaxed once more, at her reassurance.

"I need you to take Erin for a week, next week," she closed her eyes, hoping he'd not ask her for many details, and that he'd just agree. She hardly asked him for anything, after all. 

"A week? I mean yeah, I can, but why a week?" he knew she worked a lot; that was a given, when you considered her fame, but even when she was in theatre shows, she only asked for him to take her an extra night, on the last night when there was a cast after-party. 

"I'm visiting someone, in America. I thought I'd surprise them," she spoke casually in the hope it would not invite more of an interrogation. 

"Fair enough. What day do you want me to take her?" she heard him order another beer in the background.

"I'm leaving early Tuesday morning," she winced, as it was only just over a day away.

"Jesus, Catherine, talk about short notice!" he sounded only mildly annoyed, which appeased Catherine's sensitive nature. He sighed and added;

"Fine, I'll pick her up tomorrow night, go and have a good time, call me when you're home?" he asked, softly. Even though they were no longer a couple, he still cared for her, and he still looked out for her. 

"Thank you, thank you, thank you, yes I will, thank you!" she squeaked, excitably, and clapped. Twig laughed a little;

"You're welcome. Now I have to go, the match is on," he smirked and hung up the phone, and turned back to the game. 

Catherine locked her phone, and held it to her chest, her smile warming her whole face; she was going to L.A, and she was going to see David, that was when she began to panic.


End file.
